1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to updating processes of a program that require user authentication when the program is activated and particularly relates to a technique to improve the level of convenience during execution of the programs after being updated.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some kinds of application software, when being activated, require the user to input a password or the like, in order to authenticate if the user is authorized to use the software. The purpose of this requirement is to prevent the data and the like dealt with in the application from being disclosed to the generic public.
Revised versions of programs for different kinds of application software are provided in order to correct errors and add additional functions or the like. Every time a revised version is provided, users need to update the application software in use from the current version to the revised version.
In order to update a piece of application software, users need to take the trouble of checking whether a revised version of the application in use is available or not.
In recent years, to save the users trouble, some kinds of application software inform each user that there is a revised version when the application software is activated, so that the user is able to perform an update. This way, the users are able to find out that there is a revised version without taking the trouble of checking, and to update the application software.
As a different example, when disconnection occurs in the network between a user's terminal and the server, some network systems include a network server that is capable of automatically detecting the disconnection of the line so as to have the disconnected terminal re-connected to the network without bothering the user (See Patent Document 1).
During an updating process of a piece of application software, however, the user's trouble cannot be dispensed with, unlike the case of the re-connection of network systems mentioned above. In other words, when an updated application is re-activated, the user needs to take the trouble of inputting the password or the like, again.
More specifically, in order to update a piece of application software, the application in operation needs to be at first terminated before being updated, and then the application should be re-activated after the update. The reason for this is because, in principal, it is not possible to update a piece of application software while the application is being executed.
Even if the application is automatically re-activated after an update so that the user is saved from the trouble of re-activating the application, the user still needs to input a password or the like for the purpose of authentication.
It means that the password is once inputted for an authentication process, but when an update is performed and the application is re-activated, the user again has to take the trouble of performing authentication for the second time. Because of this trouble, the level of convenience in updating processes of applications is lowered, and further, the user experiences the inconvenience of having to stop the task on which he/she has originally been working.
Patent Document 1
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 6-259353